Who Is Cheryl D. Mills & Why Does She Stand Out In Hillary Clinton’s Emails?

One thing that stands out amid the latest and largest release of Hillary Clinton‘s controversial emails is that one ex-worker seemingly enjoyed an unusual tell-it-like-it-is relationship with the former secretary of state, who is known to command respect.

Politico notes that a review of emails to the State Department released this week shows that most writers appear to pander to Clinton–that is, everyone except for Cheryl D. Mills, Clinton’s former chief of staff. Mills testified in the case regarding whether Hillary used an illegal private server for classified emails Thursday before a congressional committee.

During an 8-hour closed-door session at the State Department, Mills told the House Select Committee on Benghazi that a worker on her legal staff sifted through thousands of emails and determined which “messages should be handed over to the State Department and which ones should be deleted,” according to The New York Times.

Mills, who is African-American, has served as a lawyer for the family dating back to the early 1990s. Her emails exude a certain familiarity unlike any of Clinton’s other relationships. FromPolitico:

She can be brusque, sometimes responding to Clinton’s questions with a simple “y,” as if she is too busy to finish typing the three-letter word.

Sources familiar with the relationship tell Politico that Mills, 50, is indeed a closed book when it comes to the Clintons and is fiercely loyal, which explains why she has been able to fly under the radar while working for such a public family:

“No one’s going to question Cheryl’s commitment and loyalty to the Clintons,” said Tom Nides, a longtime Clinton donor who also worked with Mills at the State Department. “With that comes the ability to talk truth to the king. Everyone needs those kinds of people in their lives. Cheryl is the real deal.”